Abstract
As one of the most enigmatic and simultaneously convincing works by Rembrandt, this self-portrait has given rise to a variety of speculations. Without exception, these pertain to the meaning of the two semi-circles on the light wall before which Rembrandt has portrayed himself. Equally intriguing, however, are the genesis and the unfinished state of this painting.
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Notes
See Chapman 1990, p. 100 and C. Brown in: exhib. cat. Rembrandt. Paintings, 1991/92, p. 284.
J. Bryant, London’s Country House Collections, London 1993.
H. van de Waal, ‘Rembrandt 1956’, Museum 61 (1956), p. 199.
Chapman 1990, pp. 99–100.
Brown, op. cit.1, pp. 286–87.
J. Six, ‘Rembrandts voorbereiding van de etsen van Jan Six en Abraham Francen’, Onze Kunst 14 (1908), p. 65. See also B.P.J. Broos, ‘The “O” of Rembrandt’, Simiolus 4 (1970), pp. 150–182, esp. 181, note 48 and fig. 26.
W. Weisbach, Rembrandt, Berlin/Leipzig 1926, p. 535 and note 1. (HdG 807), not in Sumowski; for an illustration, see Broos, op. cit.8, fig. 25.
W. Weisbach, Rembrandt, Berlin/Leipzig 1926, p. 535 Weisbach, op. cit.9.
Broos, op. cit.8, pp. 177–182.
Broos op. cit.8, pp. 169–171. For less sound hypotheses of this theme, see Schwartz 1985 p. 351, and J.F. Moffit, ‘“Piu tondo che TO di Giotto”: Giotto, Vasari, and Rembrandt’s Kenwood House “Self-portrait”’, Paragone 35 (1984), pp. 63–70.
Broos, op. cit.8, p. 168.
‘Eenen krinck in’ t rond getogen / Die ons’t eeuwigh stelt voor oogen’, Broos, op. cit.8, pp. 168–169.
See Broos, op. cit.8, p. 182 and H. Miedema, ‘De O’s van Broos’, Simiolus 5 (1971), pp. 185–186.
‘dat een stuk voldaan is als de meester zijn voornemen daar in bereikt heeft’. A. Houbraken, Groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen I, Amsterdam 1718, p. 259.
J. Chenault Porter, ‘Rembrandt and his circles: more about the late “Self-portrait” in Kenwood House’, in: The Age of Rembrandt. Studies in 17th century Dutch Painting, R.E. Fleischer and S. Scott Munshower eds., University of Pennsylvania 1988, pp. 189–212 esp. 190.
C. Plinii Secundi, Naturalis Historiae, Liber XXXV, 80.
B. Nicholson, Editorial in Burl. Mag. 92 (1950), p. 183; C. Wright, Rembrandt: Self-Portraits, London 1982, p. 32.
J.G. van Gelder, ‘Rembrandt en de 17de eeuw’, De Gids 140 (1956), pp. 408–409. The lecture by H. de Beaufort, Rembrandt, Haarlem 1957, pp. 112–113, who interpreted the circles as cabbalistic symbols, is unteneable for the same reason.
E. van de Wetering, ‘The multiple functions of Rembrandt’s self portraits’, in: exhib. cat. Rembrandt by himself 1999/2000, esp. pp. 11–13.
‘Dat alle schilderwerk,’ t zy wat, of van wien gemaakt, maar kinder-en beuzelwerk is, zoo niet alles naar’t leven geschildert is, en datter niet goet of beter kan wezen, dan de natuur te volgen; over zulks hy niet eenen enkelen Streek deed, of hy zette het leven voor zig Etc. […] Van deze meening was ook onze groote meester Rembrant, stellende zig ten grondwet, enkele naarvolging van de natuur, en alles wat daar buiten gedaan werd was by hem verdagt’. A. Houbraken, Groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen I, Amsterdam 1718, p. 262.
C. Vosmaer, Rembrandt, The Hague 1877, p. 561: just before 1660; HdG. 556: c. 1663; Van Gelder, op. cit.20, J.G. van Gelder, ‘Rembrandt en de 17de eeuw’, De Gids 140 (1956), p. 408–409: c. 1663; B. Nicholson, op. cit.19, B. Nicholson, Editorial in Burl. Mag. 92 (1950), p. 183: 1660; Broos, op. cit.8, B.P.J. Broos, ‘The “O” of Rembrandt’, Simiolus 4 (1970) p. 182: 1660; Moffit, op. cit.12: J.F. Moffit, ‘“Piu tondo che TO di Giotto”: Giotto, Vasari, and Rembrandt’s Kenwood House “Self-portrait”’, Paragone 35 (1984), c. 1659.
C. Wright, op. cit.19: c. 1667–1668.
Brown, op. cit.1, p. 286.
A. AnanofF, L’Oeuvre dessiné de Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806). Catalogue Raisonné, Tome II, Paris 1963, cat. no. 1092, fig. 315.
E. Valdivieso, Pintura Holandesa del Siglo XVII en Espana, Valladolid 1973, p. 346 and fig. 229.
H. Pontier, Musée d’Aix, Bouches-du-Rhone, deuxième partie, Le Musée Granet, Aix-en-Provence 1900, no. 338.
J. Reynolds, ‘A journey to Flanders and Holland in the year MDCGLXXXI’, The works of Sir Joshua Reynolds…, ed. E. Malone, London 18094, II, p. 266.
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(2005). Self-portrait. In: A Corpus of Rembrandt Paintings. Rembrandt Research Project Foundation, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4441-0_31
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